Mentorship could be the key to unlocking both professional and personal success. Top career coaches and entrepreneurs explain exactly how to find a mentor
Whether it's a friendly industry luminary, a particularly helpful network contact, a former boss, or a wise guidance counsellor—a great mentor can be invaluable in your career or personal development. Whether you're looking to grow in your current field, develop a personal project, or pivot careers, finding a mentor and cultivating a productive, positive, longstanding relationship with that person isn't always easy. We asked some top recruiters, entrepreneurs, and career coaches for their best advice on how to find a mentor and establish a good rapport. Here's what we learned.
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1. Do you want a mentor or a coach?
"First, decide if you need actually need or want a mentor," says Michelle Duval, a business coach and CEO of Fingerprint for Success. "Many use the terms mentoring and coaching synonymously but they are actually very different support systems—each powerful in their own right. A mentor is an expert in a domain or field you want to get awesome at and help you fast track your success and avoid pitfalls. They will give you their advice and help guide you. On the other hand, a coach is an expert in helping you realise your unique ideas and abilities and helps you hone your own expertise. There is a role for both but important to know when you are actually looking for guidance (mentoring) versus powerhouse questions (coaching) that invite you to come up with new personal insights and actions."
2. Decide what you're looking for in a mentorship
"Think critically on what you need from mentorship and who are the people who can get you there," says Nadia Ibrahim-Taney, a university career coach and lecturer. "While having a 40-year veteran CEO mentor looks good on paper, if your goal is to obtain an entry level position at a company, you need to ask yourself how much does the CEO know about hiring? Or networking with entry level folks?
"Matching your mentors with goals helps you better understand what you need out of a mentor and thus, who you should ask," she says. "My second tip is to be direct in your mentorship ask. Mentors should know you want their time, commitment and vested interest in your career. Having defined roles with clear expectations helps both the mentor and mentee get the most out of the relationship without any awkward confusion or assumptions on what you mean to each other. Lastly, have multiple mentors. Particularly if you are young and are unsure of your career path.
"Having multiple people in your 'boardroom' giving you advice from a diversity of thought, positioning and perspective gives you the opportunity to take what you like and leave what you don’t. Mentors offer advice and opinions and oftentimes they can conflict with things you’ve heard from other sources, so be critical and thoughtful on what advice you take and what elements you leave."